Writer Appreciation - Tumblr Posts

When you are in deep writer’s block and you see this on your feed. The appreciation helps so much to keep the motivation❤️ writers block has been killing me🥲

Reblog to give your writer friends, or yourself, a pat on the back, to let them know you’re proud of them. This is a message of love and encouragement.

Oh my god! @18plusisstressed i absolutely loved your idea and came up with mine through your awesome writing! If you want to reblog that is completely up to you and okay!! I made mine softer because I was too afraid anything heavier (that word doesn’t sound right but I can’t think of an alternative) and because I didn’t want to come across as too similar or they I was trying to steal your idea. And don’t worry about the tag, your story totally deserves it all the hype!! Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m sending you all the good vibes 💌

Hey @trapmonster94 , I didn't want to reblog your story just because it's a lot softer than mine and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but I loved both parts of your story!! I live for the angst but it was also so sweet and that's exactly how I imagine Remus and his relationship with others being in this au! Thanks for giving me a shout out, I'm happy my writing gave you any kind of inspiration! 🦗💜

This is for all the unsung fic writers; the ones who don’t make the must-read lists, the ones who don’t get recced, the ones who don’t get hundreds of kudos, the rarepair writers out on the peripheries of fandom, the ones who toil away quietly for the handful of people who read and love them. You matter - you’re a writer too, and don’t you ever forget it. :)

I follow an author on here who once made a similar post about this issue, and I have fully taken her advice to heart on leaving comments on people's work. If you've got know idea what to say, just literally comment "kudos" if you're on a site like this one that you can use emojis on, you can leave a 👍 or a ❤️. It works and can be fun. I do it

Unpopular Fandom Opinion

Don’t feel guilty if you can’t comment on fics. You are not the shittiest fan on earth and you aren’t tearing the writer’s heart out and stomping on it while you read free fiction without “paying.”

Look I don’t care why you don’t comment. But if you sit there after reading my fic and feel a sense of dread while looking at a blank comment form, then do us both a favor and just hit the kudos button. I want you to be entertained. I want you to walk away smiling or…idk turned on or, really, anything positive. If all you feel is guilt, how is that fun for anyone?

"Writing is art, not content."

-irrlicht-writes

I got a comment today that said smth along the lines of "I didn't wanna be weird commenting on a four month old fic"

Baby, bless your heart but four months isn't old by any means and ao3 isn't fucking instagram. Comment on fics you like, regardless of how old they are! The worst that could happen is you make an author's day. Writing is art, not content.

*pulls up to the fanfic drive-thru window* uh yeah, i’ll take a fake relationship with a side of mutual pining and thinking the other isn’t interested, thanks

For all the less popular writers. For the writers who don't get much attention. For the writers who have a very small following, or no following. For the writers who don't get a lot of notes or comments.

You are valid. You are brilliant. You are creating something unique and magical and all yours. No one would create it better. You are creating! You're writing! That is a magic all its own, and all yours.

You are valued, and valuable, and good enough as you are.

Good fics are like art itself.

Reblog if Fan Fics are just as valid as Fan Art

Affirmation for writers, please!!

Likes do nothing!!

I audibly screeched when I got this notification. I can’t wait to read this!

Desert Rose

Chapter 62 ~ Deafening Cries

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.2k

In this chapter ~ Rick and the others head into the city when they heard the news about what happened to Beth and Rose. Though they hit a few bumps in the road to get their people back, it seems for a moment that everything worked out in the end. That is until a horrible and sudden death occurs right when they least expect it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THIRD PERSON POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*

It all happened too fast. One minute Daryl was helping the kid back up to his feet to follow right behind where Rose had run off to, and the next she was on the ground, unmoving, laying there practically lifeless. It took him all of one second to process the fact that she was hit by a car, but the moment it registered in his mind, he was surging forward in an instant in attempt to get to her. But the kid quickly grabbed onto Daryl and held him back so they would stay out of sight. He felt terrible for doing so, but this was the only way she would get help.

"No! Let go of me!" Daryl yelled as he thrashed around in his arms.

"No, no, wait, they can help her! They're the only ones who can. They have medicine, machines, a doctor. You go out there, you'll have to kill them, okay? And then she won't get taken care of, is that what you want?"

They both watched helplessly as two men emerged to put Rose on a stretcher to move her into the car. Daryl was panting as he continued to struggle in the young man's hold, but in the back of his mind, he knew he was right. If they went out there, she wouldn't get the help that she needed. But he just got her back. After losing her for days, thinking she was dead, he got her back now only to lose her again. He felt like a failure.

"We can get her back. We can get Beth back." the kid reassured.

The car then sped back off down the street, with her just in the backseat as Daryl finally shrugged the kid's arms from off of him, "What's it gonna take?" he huffed.

The man just looked at him sadly, "A lot. They got guns...people..."

"Yeah...so do we." Daryl grumbled.

And without another word, the two quickly took off back into the city to try and find a running car so they could make it back to the church where the others stayed. It was a struggle as they felt like they were searching endlessly, before finally finding a truck that Daryl hotwired, the vehicle having just enough gas to get them back.

The whole ride back was just filled with silence. Neither one of them knew what to say, the only thing being exchanging names amongst the quiet. Though after a while of driving, the kid, Noah, slowly began to tell Daryl some of the things that had gone down at the hospital. Things he felt the man should know before they walked in there, guns blazing.

However, this only made Daryl's panic rise. Beth being trapped there was one thing, but now the two of them being stuck blindly with no way out, it was a whole other story. He couldn't bear the thought of them dealing with the assholes this kid has had described, they sounded deranged. The newfound information only made him pick up speed to get to the group faster, his foot stepping harshly on the gas as he swerved. They would get Beth back. They would get Rose back. That's what he kept having to tell himself over and over to stay calm as he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Once they made it back to the church, Daryl didn't hesitate to tell the group everything he could recall...or to his surprise, what was left of the group. It initially confused him to see the new people were suddenly gone, along with Glenn and Maggie who weren't anywhere in sight. Rick then had to break the news, telling him the whole mess of a story about how they had to leave for Washington, but the rest didn't want to leave him and Rose behind.

But to Daryl, that was far from important right now.

He laid everything out on the table for Rick, explaining piece by piece of what had happened when they traveled back to Atlanta, in attempts to get Beth, but only ended up biting off more than they could chew. Though after hearing everything, Rick didn't hesitate to round up everyone to move out, wanting to get their girls back as fast as possible. His heart about fell out of his chest when Daryl informed them that they managed to take Rose too. He wasn't about to let that fly, not at all.

It was clear that all of them were set with a certain determination, to save their people after losing so much already.

Back at the hospital, Beth was prepared to fight back. She had never been more ready to get out of here and back to her family, though she didn't even know where to start looking. They could still be separated for all she knew, practically stuck on different planets from how far away they seemed. But that wasn't about to stop her, knowing she would rather be on her own then spend another second locked away here.

She walked through the corridor with a scalpel in hand, the intention to put an end to all of this after seeing Noah escape from just beyond her reach. But she stopped suddenly when she saw the doors on the other end of the hall being shoved open, a few people carrying in someone new on a stretcher who looked to be unconscious. She moved out of the way to the opposite side of the space so they could get through to an unoccupied room, but when she caught a glimpse of the stranger, she could've sworn she stopped breathing for a moment.

There she was. Right in front of her very eyes. Rose.

Worry immediately filled within her as she saw the state she was in, the deep cuts on her face, the bruises forming on different parts of her body. Beth's mind ran wildly though she attempted to stay calm, knowing there was no way she could leave now. Not without her. But then again, this coincidence led her to believe that someone else from the group might now where she is. And they were no doubt coming for her, giving them the perfect opportunity to escape.

An hour ticked by excruciatingly slow since they first brought her in, getting her situated with some medication and stitched up the gashes along her skin. Beth hadn't stopped lingering by that area since, not wanting to draw attention, but not wanting to leave her alone either.

As she made her thirtieth loop around the long hall, she couldn't bring herself to stay away anymore, gaining the courage to peek her head in to see her laying there peacefully with an IV in her arm. The bruising she had was terrible, her left side almost completely covered in black and blue marks as her stitches looked red and painful.

"Excuse me." came a sudden voice from right beside her.

Beth jumped a little at the man's presence, quickly moving aside so the doctor could walk in and check on her. She tried to act nonchalant for both of their safety, pretending she hardly knew the woman at all, but it was getting harder for her to hide her concern. Beth wondered if Daryl ever found Rose, or if he even found anyone from the group at all. She could only hope that someone was on their way to them, and they could get out of this place together.

"Is she going to be okay?" Beth asked before she could stop herself.

The doctor gave her a weird look, "Yes...she should be just fine."

She breathed a silent sigh of relief and made a mental note to come back and check on her herself when no one else was around. She prayed that Rose would wake up soon so she could talk to her, set up some kind of plan for when the time came. But now, all she could do was wait.

The group of five made it back to the city after a long and painful drive, now held up in a building near the hospital, discussing a strategy. They all listened intently while Rick talked about what the best approach would be, but all they could do was worry. Sasha alone wasn't in the right state of mind after losing Bob just the other night, the images of the people from Terminus coming back for revenge lingered in the back of their minds.

Daryl remained a complete mess. Not only did his wife get captured by a bunch of strangers, but she was also hurt far worse than she was before. Two car accidents in one day, that had to be a new record. He just needed to get her back, he needed to know that she was okay considering the condition he last saw her in.

"At sundown we fire a shot into the air, get two of them out on patrol. Then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks in one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out." Rick spoke.

"How?" Tyreese asked.

Rick looked up to him, "He slits his fucking throat." he said simply.

Everyone around could see how fast Rick was changing, though no one could blame him in the slightest. After everything they've been through, it wasn't a surprise, and now the absence of Rose was enough to tip him over the edge. They all knew he wasn't going to be kind or patient about this considering the number of times he had lost her already.

"This is all about doing this quietly, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there we fan out, knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." he continued.

He then pointed down to a sloppy map he drew out of the hospital, with a little help from Noah. He instructed where each person would be, when they would attack, and what was the best route to get to them. It seemed pretty simple if everything would go according to plan, but Tyreese began to grow uneasy.

"This is the best case scenario, what's the worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the hallway at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around." the man pointed out.

"If that's what it takes." Sasha said.

Ty shook his head, "It's not. If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we can do a trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

Rick stood up, "Yeah, I get it. And it might work. But this will work. We're getting those girls back. I don't care what it takes."

The rest stayed silent as the two went back and forth, but eventually after a lot of convincing, Tyreese finally got everyone on his side for the plan he assured would work better. It took a little while for Rick to come to terms with that, but he was running out of options and most importantly, time. Which is why he reluctantly agreed, the group moving out to get this taken care of.

They spread out in different directions, Rick firing a single shot into the air as they then waited for the cops to come check out the noise. Drawing them out like moths to a flame. It didn't take long for a car to slowly drive through the area where the gunshot was heard, cautiously getting out of their vehicle as they scanned the area around them for anything unusual.

Rick silently nodded over to Noah, the kid nodding back in response as he slowly slid out from where he hid, wanting the cops to notice his presence. As he stepped out into the open, the two spotted him immediately, drawing their weapons out to aim at his head the second they saw a gun in his hold.

"Drop it!" the male officer commanded, "Drop it now!"

"Okay." Noah complied in mock defeat, setting his weapon on the ground in front of him, watching as the two rushed over to get him down on his knees.

"I thought you were smart Noah; you didn't think we would hear you?" the female officer asked, zip tying his wrists together.

The other one looked around confused as his gun was still trained on the kid, "Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" he asked.

Then a single whistle was heard from just behind their heads, spinning around to see the rest of the group coming out with guns of their own. The two officers became suddenly panicked at the numbers they were seeing, their widened eyes only growing as they slowly realized this was a trap.

"Hands." Rick demanded.

"What do you want?" the female officer asked.

The male officer began shaking his head in shock, "Whatever this is, we can help." he spoke up, his voice slightly wavering.

Rick only raised his gun higher, "You do what we say, and we don't hurt you."

The two looked at each other, almost as if having a silent discussion with their eyes before doing as he said. They placed their weapons on the ground in unison, raising their hands up high for Rick to see.

"Good, now turn around." Rick demanded, "Get on your knees."

They did as they were told, Noah standing up from his position and walking towards Ty so he could cut the ties off his wrists. Daryl and Sasha moved over to the officers, binding their hands together the moment they were steadied on their knees, forming some kind of circle around them to which they couldn't escape.

Rick picked up their guns off the ground, placing them behind his back as he moved his way to stand in front of their faces. "We need to talk." he said lowly.

Just a few miles away from the group's chaos, Beth noticed that Rose's room was finally unoccupied, taking the chance to hesitantly step inside to see her, but not before glancing behind her a number of times just to make sure there was truly no one around. From the looks of it she still seemed to be out like a light, but she was alive, and that's all that mattered to her. The girl shut the door quietly and made her way over to sit at the foot of her bed, slowly taking Rose's hand in her own.

"Ro?" she called out softly.

She was met with silence, the only noise being the heart monitor beeping in the background, Beth closing her eyes while squeezing her hand softly, "I just wanted you to know I'm here." she whispered.

Nothing.

"I still can't believe you're here. I mean...I knew you were alive; I had always had feeling. I just wish I could've seen you again under better circumstances. They wouldn't tell me what happened to you...but I just know that you're in here because of something they did. They aren't...they aren't good people. But I'm gonna get you out if it's the last thing I do...I promise."

Still nothing.

Beth sighed sadly at the lack of reaction, bowing her head as she did something she hadn't done in a long time...she prayed. After her dad died a horrible death, she didn't really feel like praying anymore, questioning if God even existed after having to witness something so horrid. But right here, right now, she found herself pleading. Knowing that if there were some higher power out there, that's what could help her in a moment of need.

It seemed almost impossible, a miracle she would guess, but the moment her silent prayer ended, she felt Rose's hand move slightly in her own. Her head snapped up to see her face, watching as the woman groaned softly, before slowly opening her eyes. An instant smile was brought to Beth's face, quietly thanking God for his fast works as she waited patiently for Rose to fully wake.

Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, taking them a few seconds to adjust to the sudden bright light shining down on her, for a moment she thought she was dead with how blinding it seemed. Though the more she blinked, the more she gained consciousness, the more she felt the sharp pain in her side as she let out a deep sigh at the pressure that lingered there.

When her eyes finally focused, glancing briefly around the room, she could've sworn she was dreaming. There right in front of her eyes was Beth sitting at the edge of her bed, her hand grasped tightly in her own.

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up a little, hearing Beth let out an airy laugh with tears forming in her eyes, "Beth?" she whispered.

The blonde nodded her head, confirming that everything was in fact real, and Rose didn't hesitate to sit up immediately to pull her into a tight hug. She couldn't bring herself to care about the aching pain in her side, or where the hell she even was. All she seemed to care about was the fact that she had found her, although it almost didn't feel like reality.

She felt Beth shake a little as she cried onto her shoulder, still holding onto her for dear life, scared to death that she wasn't going to see her again. They stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever before Rose finally pulled away to take Beth's face in her hands.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the cuts and marks all over her face.

Beth laughed again, feeling Rose wiping the tears that fell from her eyes, "You're asking if I'm okay? Rose, you're beaten and bruised and-"

She shook her head, "I don't care, are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm okay." Beth whispered.

Rose couldn't help but bring the young girl in for another hug as she tried to hold back her own emotions. It was like everything was finally falling into place. Now that she found her and knew she was alright, she couldn't wait to get out of here. But judging by how Beth wasn't able to escape with the kid whom she met moments before the disaster, it probably wouldn't be easy.

"What happened?" Beth suddenly asked, pulling away to look her in the eye.

Rose sighed, "It's a really long story. But we all managed to find each other again...and Daryl and I somehow spotted a car similar to the one who took you. We followed it, ended up running into the kid that you helped escape, and then...I got hit by a car." she said bluntly.

Beth blinked a few times, "You got hit by a car?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"I think so, it's still kind of fuzzy." she muttered as she rubbed a tender spot on her head, "But Daryl knows where we are...we're getting out of here." Rose assured.

Beth nodded her head, "Good. We need to just wait for the right moment."

"Has there been any signs that they're coming? It could be anything."

Beth tried to think for a moment or two, before suddenly remembering when she was talking with Dawn only minutes ago, hearing the commotion on the radio attached to her belt. A few officers went on and on about a random series of gunfire close by, wanting to check it out. It was a long shot that it could be the others, but there was a chance.

"There was a gunshot that rang out near here. I overheard a few of them talking about it." Beth informed.

Rose nodded confidently, "It's them. How long ago?"

"Just a few minutes, I think. They just went to check it out."

"Okay, good. Do you know where they're keeping my stuff?" Rose asked.

The girl nodded, "They might've stored it in a room not too far from here, I can go get everything. But they can't know you're awake. If someone else comes in here, just pretend you're still asleep, okay?"

Rose nodded a bit uneasily, "Okay..."

Beth went to stand, wanting to get out before they were caught, but then stopped as she squeezed Rose's hand again one final time, "I missed you so much." she whispered.

Her face softened as she squeezed her hand in return, "I missed you too. I'm so glad you're okay, honey." she replied.

Beth smiled as she nodded, "I'll go get your stuff, it might take a bit for me to come back. Just wait here."

Rose nodded in response, laying back down in the same position to pretend she was still unconscious, hearing Beth open and close the door lightly the moment she shut her eyes.

She let her mind run, knowing she would be alone for a long while before Beth returned. She hoped that wherever the others were right now, that they were being safe instead of reckless. The last thing she needed right now was to lose someone else.

Daryl was pacing back and forth in the abandoned building that they were holed up in, waiting for Rick to return. Of course, the plan didn't go as smoothly as they would've wished, and there were a few bumps in the road.

They ended up finding a third officer that was also willing to help them after he had the whole story, but the moment he was left alone with Sasha, he knocked her out as he made his great escape. Knowing all the information now, they all assumed his plan would be to run back to Dawn to fill her in on everything. Like a damn rat.

Rick was the one to take off after him the moment he found out, the rest of them silently knowing that the man wasn't going to make it back to the hospital. Sure, all of that was bad, but that wasn't the thing that worried Daryl the most.

Rose continued to cloud his thoughts heavily. Not knowing for sure if she was okay, if she was even alive, just brought back the same feeling he had not too long ago when he first lost her. He promised her that he wouldn't let her go again and he would always protect her, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't follow through on one simple promise he made to her, and now God only knew what was happening to her now.

Noah kept trying to reassure him that she was fine, that they would take care of her, but he couldn't make himself believe that. He didn't know if he could ever believe that. All he wanted was to see it with his own eyes, wanting her with him where she was safe from all harm.

The female officer noticed Daryl's repetitive steps, back and forth for minutes on end, and got up the courage to ask, "One of the people in there...it's someone you care about, isn't it?"

He stopped in his tracks to look at the woman with narrowed eyes, silently daring her to continue to question him. She noticed immediately that she struck a nerve and put her head down to not make eye contact with the man.

"His wife." Ty suddenly spoke up, answering for Daryl.

Daryl's eyes snapped up to meet Tyreese's as he glared daggers at him. He didn't understand why they owed these people any information whatsoever when it wouldn't matter in the end. He didn't trust them one bit to have any kind of knowledge, they could easily use it against them for all they knew. After the one officer escaped, they couldn't take any more chances with the two that remained.

Just then, Rick walked in through the entrance loudly as his boots clicked with a constant echo, immediately nodding for Daryl to follow him away from the other officers so they could talk privately. The man instantly moved toward the other end of the room and once they were far enough away, Rick spoke quietly.

"He wouldn't stop." he said simply, implying that he had taken care of him.

Daryl nodded, "This change things?" he asked.

"It has to," Rick confirmed, "The one guy who said this whole trade would work is dead. Maybe we gotta rethink this."

"They also said the cop in charge didn't have any respect for 'em. Maybe he did her a favor." Daryl stated.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know if they'll play ball."

"Let's find out."

They nodded to each other in agreement before making their way back toward the others. The officer that escaped had went on and on about how their plan could work. The head officer, the woman who ran the place, allegedly would take the deal, you just had to know how to talk to her. Now Rick was thinking that it was a bunch of bullshit just so he could escape, but they still didn't know for sure. Both men just wanted to get a move on, get in and out of there fast.

But before Rick could breathe a word to the two officers they had left, the woman spoke up, "He was a good man. He was attacked by rotters...we saw it go down."

Rick tilted his head at her, "You're a damn good liar." he stated.

"We're hanging on by a threat here," she informed, "He was attacked by rotters, that's the story."

Daryl spoke up, "Ya said the trade was a bad idea. What changed?"

"Lamson was our shot," she said, referring to the now deceased man, "So it's this, or you go in shooting up the place, right? You don't want that."

Daryl moved closer to her, "If this is some bullshit yer spitin and things go south-"

"I know." she interrupted, "I know the good ones from the bad. Let us help you."

Rick looked at her for a moment, contemplating what she said very carefully and weighing out his options, before turning towards the man, "What about you?" he asked, "You wanna live? How much?"

He stared at Rick for a moment, "Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it'll tip things against her, hell, it will. She'll see this trade as a rip off if she thinks you took out one of our guys. So...it's a good thing Lamson got aced by rotters."

The group looked at him with a mixture of shock and understanding. They were in.

Beth barged into Rose's room with her clothes and her weapons, "It's me, you have to get up."

Her eyes flew open, sitting up quickly to see Beth with an anxious yet hopeful look on her face as she laid out everything at the foot of the bed, "One of the officers talked to Dawn over the radio. They said that a man with a group wanted to make a trade, two officers they had for the two of us." she continued.

Rose's eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face, "Okay, good."

She then slowly stood up, wincing as she did so to move and change into her real clothes, the process slow and tedious as Beth offered to help. The ugly nightgown was tossed aside carelessly as she replaced her weapons around her, adjusting everything as fast as she could, practically itching to get out of this place.

Though her excitement got the best of her as she quietly gasped at the sudden pain in her side, Beth catching on instantly as she held her hand out for support.

"Do you need a wheelchair or anything?" she asked.

Rose shook her head, standing back up straight with a discomforted face, "No, I'm fine." she breathed.

"Ro, you were just hit by a car." Beth said.

She looked up at the young girl, "I'll live."

Beth hesitantly nodded her head and gently pulled her along so they could exit the room together. Though when they were almost to the door, Rose managed to catch sight of herself in the reflection of a mirror just a few feet away. It was like she didn't even recognize herself, the wrecked state she was in almost made her a different person.

Beth gently tugged on her arm to keep walking, exiting through the door slowly as they bumped right into the doctor in the hallway. He looked shocked to see Rose awake and walking around, "I- I didn't know you were up-"

"Yeah, I've been up." Rose interrupted him harshly as she seemed to not waste any time, "Where are my people?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to formulate a response, before just simply nodding for the two to follow him, and they didn't hesitate to keep up with his strides. Neither one of the girls knew what this would lead to, how everything would play out, but they had hope. That after everything and long time apart from one another, they could finally just breathe the minute this was all over.

The doctor lead them down the hall, slowly stopping short once they saw a line of officers planted right in the middle of the walkway. They were all facing the other direction as if they were still waiting, watching for the group to enter on the other end of the passage.

Seconds of silence passed like that, anticipation building in everyone's chests before the door suddenly swung open, the others trailing inside with the two officers held in custody as promised. They all paused at the other end of the corridor, leaving a decent amount of space in between, though Rose wasn't planning on waiting around for another second.

Beth had come to a full stop next to the officers, but Rose kept going, continuing to make her way over to her group in a fit of impatience. But her movements were stopped in an instant when someone grasped her arm harshly, yanking her back a step so she couldn't make it to the other side. Glancing over her shoulder, she could only assume this was the woman in charge, glaring at her for moving without permission.

"We do this my way." she said through gritted teeth, "You're not leaving unless I say so."

Rose scoffed, "I'll leave whenever the hell I want to."

She ripped her arm from her tight grasp, turning slightly to take another step, but stopped once she saw Dawn's hand hover over the gun in her holster. Rose laughed lightly, "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"You're not the one I'd shoot." the woman threatened, her eyes slowly panning over towards Beth.

Rose's blood began to boil at the implication as she glared at the woman, leaving Dawn smirking at the reaction she received. "Get back." she demanded.

Rose closed her eyes as her frustration grew, before slowly moving back to stand beside Beth once more, watching their people share concerned glances with each other at the little interaction they witnessed. It was quiet, she knew they didn't know for sure what was said, but the action was enough for them to grow uneasy.

Rick was the first to speak amongst the silence, "They haven't been harmed."

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn asked.

"Rotters got him." the female officer said, "Saw it go down right in front of us."

Dawn faltered for a second at the unexpected news, "Oh..." she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that, he was one of the good guys. ...One of yours for one of mine."

"Alright." Rick agreed, motioning for Daryl to hand over the male officer that he had in his hold.

Dawn looked over at Rose and nodded for her to go first and she scoffed at her, "Oh, now I can go." she muttered under her breath as she walked away with another officer right on her tail.

She met Daryl in the middle as he let go of the man carelessly and was quick to wrap her in a tight hug. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled back to scan her face, "Ya okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "I'm fine."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her to bring her back to the group, all of them smiling in relief to see her seemingly unharmed. Rick didn't hesitate to bring her in for a quick squeeze, his touch delicate to make sure he didn't hurt her further, before they both faced the other side to make sure Beth would make it over as well.

They watched as Dawn grasped her arm aggressively, bringing her in towards the middle just as Rick stepped forward with the other officer. Once Dawn let go of Beth, she picked up her pace to make it over to Rick and he cupped her cheek, muttering something to her quietly as she nodded. She then walked all the way back to the group and hugged Rose again as they both sighed in some kind of relief, knowing that they both made it safely with no complications.

"Glad we could work things out." Dawn said loudly.

Rick looked back at her once more, a scowl on his face, "Yeah." he muttered bitterly.

Seeing as everything was done, the group turned to make their way back out the doors they once came through, but Dawn's voice stopped them in their tracks, "Now I just need Noah. And then you can leave."

Their heads all whipped back over to her and stared at her with wide eyes. Rick took a few steps back toward her, "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and now I'm losing her, so I need him back." Dawn said, "My officers put their lives on the line to find him, one of them died."

Anger filled Rose completely at the nerve of this woman, stepping away from Daryl much to his dismay to defend him, "It's not his fault your officers don't know how to take care of themselves, he's not staying." she snapped.

"He's one of mine, you have no claim on him." Dawn said.

"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him." Rick clapped back.

She stared at him, the mask she wore slipping from her face for a split second, "Then I guess we don't have a deal." she said calmly.

"The deal is done." Rose raised her voice.

Noah came up closer from behind them, "It's okay." he assured.

Rick didn't take his eyes off Dawn as he protested, "No, no it's not-"

Noah shook his head as he handed his gun back to Rick, "I gotta do it." he said quietly.

Dawn smirked a little to herself as she watched Noah hand over his weapon, the act somewhat surrendering, "Then it's settled." she said.

Rose wanted to pop a cap in this woman for her narcissistic tendencies, but she knew if she did, all hell would break loose. That wasn't something she was willing to risk. Though she didn't know Noah very well, hardly at all really, she knew he shouldn't have to stay here just by what she's seen and heard about this place.

"Wait!" Beth suddenly called out just as Noah turned to leave, beginning to rush toward him.

Rose's attention snapped to her, catching her arm before she could get too close, "Beth..." she warned with a shake of her head, wanting her to be safe.

But the girl just smiled at her, gently pulling herself out of her hold, "It's okay." she whispered.

Rose could hear the sadness in her voice, the tears that were suddenly brought to her eyes despite her smile. Though she tried to be reassuring, silently telling her it was okay to be upset as she regrettably let her go. Beth immediately walked over to give Noah a tight hug, one last embrace before she was forced to say goodbye.

Rose stayed completely still as she watched the interaction, standing firmly in her place even when she felt someone behind her begin to tug her arm back a little. She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen, everything seemed oddly calm, and she didn't like it at all.

After Beth finally let Noah go, her eyes narrowed towards Dawn as she suddenly approached her next. Rose tensed up at the sight, instinctively reaching back for her gun as her eyes scanned the scene playing before them. She wanted to call out to her, tell her that whatever she was going to say wouldn't be worth it.

"Beth." she spoke, shaking her head silently as she gestured for her to come back. But she didn't, clearly set on her decision as she simply smiled reassuringly, before turning her full attention back to Dawn.

None of them could hear what the young girl said, it was far too quiet for them to make out. But the space grew oddly tense afterwards. And then...all hell broke loose.

In one quick move, Beth took something sharp out of her pocket to stab Dawn near her shoulder. The woman let out a gasp of pain, her hand initiatively pulling the trigger on her gun that was aimed right near Beth's face, her head jerking back as the bullet flew through her skull.

Everyone froze in a state of shock, Rose's eyes widening at the sight of the girl's limp body falling to the ground. Blood began trickling out of her head, everything happening in slow motion it seemed like. Dawn's eyes widened, beginning to stumble over her words after realizing what she had done, repeating over and over again how she hadn't meant for it to go this far. But she was quickly silenced.

Rose stepped forward in an instant as she pulled out her gun, shooting the woman dead without a trace of remorse in her eyes at all. Though that only started a chain reaction, the officers at the other end of the hall beginning to draw their weapons out to aim at her for her actions. But she couldn't bring herself to care, hearing her people follow suit with the clicks of their guns as this had turned into some kind of face off.

"Wait, hold your fire!" one officer called out, "It's over! It was just about her...stand down." she said sternly to her group.

A moment of complete and unsettling silence passed before they all slowly lowered their guns at the harsh command, the group following suit a few seconds later upon watching them comply. Rose however didn't falter. She held her gun high with the intent on killing every last one of them, not caring what kind of excuse they spat just to spare themselves. None of them deserved to live in her eyes.

She stepped closer as if trying to intimidate them, but she soon felt the tears spill over her eyes as she attempted to control her breathing, unable to hold her emotions back anymore. A hand then landed on her shoulder, not even needing to turn around to know who it was and what he was silently asking. She shook her head in silent defeat, before her arm slowly dropped to place the weapon back in her belt, a sob escaping her lips in the process.

Her eyes glanced down at her sister's lifeless body, slowly falling down to her knees on the ground next to her with tears streaming down her face like a rapid river. It didn't even register in her mind that the sobs and screams that filled the air where her own, the ringing in her ears being far too loud for her to hear. She took Beth's face in her hands and brushed away the hairs that stuck to her forehead. Her heart felt like it completely shattered in half, slowly and painfully, as she didn't see any life behind her eyes anymore. Her cries didn't die down as she mourned the loss of the special girl, feeling everyone's eyes staring at her with nothing but pity.

No one dared to move or even breathe too close to her, in fear they might upset her further. But Daryl knew better than to do that, and he knew they had to go, they couldn't stay here forever despite the heartbreaking and shocking turn of events. He cautiously crouched down beside her, his hands going to her upper arms in attempt to help her up. But she only shoved him away with a sob as she didn't want to leave her side, leave her here with all of these strangers she hardly knew. Maggie didn't even know, and she had a right to see her.

"Rosie...come on baby, we gotta go." Daryl whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

His chest felt tight with emotion at the loss of yet another person who managed to worm their way into his heart. It hurt him a lot more than he was willing to admit, losing Beth who had a heart of gold and always a positive outlook. But what managed to hurt him even more was seeing Rose wailing for the girl, continuing to try and push him away.

"I-I can't-" she stuttered out as she cried, "I can't leave- her here-"

Daryl shook his head, "We ain't...m' gonna carry her out, alright? We'll bury her, somewhere far from this place."

She let out another sob and turned her body to hug him tightly. Rose had never cried so hard for someone before. She had never felt such pain before. She had never been so furious before. The whirlwind of emotions was messing with her mind, a throbbing pain shooting through her skull. It was all so surreal.

Daryl quietly called Tyreese over, slowly guiding Rose into his arms so she didn't have to walk out alone, not even knowing if she could fully support herself. The man pulled her up and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, trying his best to comfort her as he slowly guided her away. She didn't have it in her to argue, trying to walk as best as she could though she felt so weak, so hurt, so broken.

But she couldn't help but glance back, wanting to make sure Daryl had picked her up, but Ty was quick to tighten his hold on her to make her look forward.

"Don't look, Ro." he said softly, "He's got her." he assured.

Walking out of the hospital was like a nightmare. The group didn't expect to see the rest of their people just outside of the doors, but they had somehow found them, lingering outside waiting. Maggie was outside waiting. Rose looked up at the people before her with tear stained cheeks, and they all grew shocked to see the state she was in. She could hardly bring herself to look at Maggie, silently grateful Ty was supporting her otherwise she believed that she would've collapsed right then and there.

Maggie looked to all of them with a mix of hurt and confusion sketched on her face. She couldn't understand why they were so emotional...until she saw caught a glimpse of Daryl. In an instant the woman dropped to the ground, starting to sob at the sudden tragedy that hit her like a ton of bricks. Rose kept her eyes down the whole time, not wanting to see the pain on her face as the ache in her chest was already too much to bear. Tyreese just held Rose tight as the two girls sobbed for Beth, the rest bowing their heads with a heaviness in their hearts at the distressing scene before them.

~ Thanks for reading! (A moment of silence for the loss of Beth:( This was a hard chapter to get through because I just love her so much. But for both Rose and Maggie's character development later on, it unfortunately needed to happen)

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